Feed device for meat cutting or mincing machines.



I O. WEFING.

FEED DEVICE FOR MEAT CUTTING 0R MINOING MACHINES. IAPPLIOATION FILEDJAN.17, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

1,082,258. Patented July 9, 1912.

. 0. WHEN. FEED DEVICE FOR MEAT-GUTTINGOR MINGING MACHINES. APPLICATIONPILEYD JAN.1'T, 1912.

1,032,258, 'Patented-Jul mm 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

w 2. Fig.5.

OTTO WEFING, F ILMENAU, GERMANY.

FEED DEVICE FOR MEAT CUTTING OR MINGING MACHINES.

Specification of Letters fatent.

Application filed' J'anuary 17, 1912. Serial No. 671,737.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, O'rro VVEFING, a subject of the German Emperor,residing at Ilmenau, Grand Duchy of SaXe-lVeimar- Eisenach, Germany,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Feed De- 0 Q vicesfor Meat Cutting or 'Mincmg Machines, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to improvements in meat chopping or mincinmachines of that type wherein an automatically-operable device ormechanism is provided to supply the material to the cut-ting mechanismand to thereby eliminate the dangerousand unsanitary practice of usingthe hand fort-his purpose. v

The objects of the invention are to provide an apparatus in which thesupply of material to the cutting mechanism is'etlected in asubstantially continuous manner and-without any undue packing orcrushing of the material and in which the feeding mechanism is adaptedwithout chan e to efiiciently\-'work on materials of difi erent'natures.

Other objects and advantages Wlll appear as the description proceeds.

A construction according to my'inventionis illustrated by way of examplein the accompanying drawing ,in' which:

Figure 1 shows a side elevation, partly in section, through a meatmincing machine,

Figs. 2-6 show the device for the automatic supply of the material tothe feed opening, Fig. 2 beinga front elevation of the bottom portion ofthe hopper, Fig. 3 a side inlet or mincer opening 3.

elevation thereof, -Fig. 4 a longitudinal sec tion on the line AB ofFig. 6, Fig. 5 a

sect-ion on the line C D of Fig. 6, and Fig.

tion 2 of the hop er is provided with a spirally descending ottom 4 thelowest pomt of which is situated in front of the feed opening 3 of themincer. On the bottom portion 2 of the hopper is mounted an annularcentral part 5 connected by means of a bridge 6 to the central sleeve 7surround- .ing the bolt 8 centrally inserted in the The bottom porbottomportion 2, the part 5 being rotatable about the said bolt 8.

Below the bridge 6 is arranged a bolt 9 carrying the blade 10. The blade10 is pressed by means of the lever 11 engaging with the bolt 9, and ofa spring 12 secured to the said lever, against the bottom 4- of thelower portion 2 of the hopper. The bolt 8 is further provided with afixed arm 1-3 under which the bridge 6 slides when the hopper part 5 isrotating, the said arm stripping oil any pieces of meat that may belying on the bridge 6.

The hopper portion 5 is provided with a peripheral worm wheel 5 whichconstitutes an element of the gearing for rotating said hopper portionand is engaged by a worm l t, the latter, in turn, being driven from themain shaft 15 by a belt 21 or equivalent gear connection. 7

When the hopper 2, 5 is filled with pieces of meat, and the part 5rotated, the blade 10 sliding on the bottom 1-. seizes the material andpushes it forward. The blade 10 follows the bottom 1 descending spirallyand finallyprcsses the material across the feed opening 8 or directlyagainst the conveyer worm A situated in the casing 1 which strips oilthe material from the blade 10' and seizes it at once (Fig. 2). Duringfurther rotation of the hopper part 5, the blade 10 turning about theaxis of the bolt 9 in opposition to the action of the spring 12, arrivesat the highest point of the bottom 4, situated above the casing 1, inorder to re peat the process described.

If the-material used in such mincing ma chines as described, has notbeen first cut,

an automatic supply of material can be insured by arranging a separatedevice for preliminary cutting above the'hoppcr portion 5 surmounted bya sheet metal hopper 16. The said preliminary cutting device consistseither of circular knives or of rotating single knives driven in asuitable manner from the driving gear of the minccr, and etl'ccting thepreliminary cutting of the material.

One of the many possible constructions is shown in Fig. 1. .Above thehopper 5, 16 is inserted another hopper 17 carrying a knife shaft 18,the driving pulley 19 of which is suitably driven, for instance by meansof a belt 20 from the main spindle 15.

Patented July 9, 1912.

The knife shaft 18 is arranged opposite a 9 similar knife shaft whichalso suitably driven. "The knife shaft 18 is provided with circularknives 21 which can cooperate with "a similar group of knives situatedop posite, and thus subject to preliminary 'cutting the largepieces ofmaterial .char ed 7 into the hopper 1'7," the'said material, aiterhaving been cut in that manner, falling into the hopper 5 and beingsupplied to the l0.

ready described.

inincer from that point in themanner'al- The safety of working inmincingma-- ehines according to my invention is insured by renderingitunnecessary to put the hand into th'e'charging hopper; in orderhowever hopper. 17, the said lid closing thehoer atthe'top and beingpreferably SIlb-diVl ed by ribs '23 in-suchimanner' that i't'isimpossible to pass the, hand through the c'overxor lid in question. 2

I f combination with; a V meat cutting me'chanism, of a feedingmechanism comprising'a.

' What I slain is":-

.1. In a niachlneofthetypeset forth, the

hopper having an annularly-curved 5 bottom feed way which terminates inan opening "that communicates with the cutting mechabei g relativelyrotatable throughoutrthe ex nism, and a bladetransv'erse t'othe feedwayand continuously pressed thereon, the blade the relativefmovemenuRWithesses: '1

tent'of said feed way, to advance'themeat toward, the opening.

nism, of a feeding mechanism comprising'a hopperhaving a spirallycurvedbottom feed way; which terminates at its lowest point in an opening thatcommunicates with the 'cuttingvm'echanism, a blade transverse to. thefeed way; and having its lower edge in contact therewith, the bladebeing re1a Ina mach'ne of the typeset forth; combination with. a meatcutting mechatively rotatable throughout the extent of said'feedway, andmeans for maintaining the contact ofthe loweredge of the blade and thefeed way "throughout the extent. of

" 3. In a machine of the type setjforthi'the combination with a meatcuttingmechanis'm, of a feedingmechanism comprising a hop er having aspirally-curved bottom'-- 5 fee way which terminates at its lowest pointinan 'openin that communicates with the cutting 'r'neche'msm, apivotally-mounte'd blade spring-held in contact with the feed waythroughout the extent of the latter.

.oTTo'wE-FINGi Emvsr EBE HARDT, 1'; ALFRED H FFMANN.' I

, flhp ies ofthispatent may be obtained for five cents-each,byadur'essing the Commissioner 6: Eatents, I Washington}! 0.?

way and movable relatively togthe feed o' In testimony'whereof I "havehereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing w t'nessesi

